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Wednesday, March 11

And yet another project

So during the great house-deconstruction, new floor-a-palooza, I've decided to take some time to revamp a few things, fix a few things, donate and get rid of a few things...

On of the things I decided I wanted to do was "fix" a china doll I have in my possession. When my grandmother died (well, actually, even before that), I became the keeper of the antique and family things. Like my great-great-grandmother's furniture, my great^3 or ^4 grand-cestors' letters and pictures and what not.

Sereiously, I have a wedding gift from 1865.

One of the things I found in a box was a china doll from the ancestress that was actually married in 1865. I also have the letters between her and her beau during the Civil War while he was away, and letters from her future sister-in-law complaining about the lack of males and how bored they were with the whole war "thing."

But I decided that what I really want to do is jazz up the china doll. She's just in her silk undies, those undies being a little worse for the wear, but the doll seems to be in good shape. I contacted a friend who knows a bit about china dolls and asked her for some help sourcing patterns. The doll already lives on display in my antique hutch, but I just feel like she could be prettier.

But this is what I'm starting with -

The whole doll in my hands. The legs and arms are also porcelain/china and seem to be in decent shape.

The head piece, with the blouse pulled down to show off the attach point

The arms

Legs & booties

The whole girl with a tape- measure for size.

I have no idea what I'm doing, I certainly have no official documentation, but since she's a part of my family, I would at least like to showcase her a little better. I have some patterns/dresses pinned/saved (the pictures mostly for ideas of colors and fabrics).

From what I've seen/read with the googles, the hair/head style/shape tracks with 1850s dolls (maybe "Greiner" style?). The back is molded but there is no ribbon or anything, other than the hair (the back of the head molded in waves much like the sides). I don't know (or really care) if it's worth anything, just a family antique that I'd like to display nicely, but I didn't want anything crazy out of style with what she should be wearing.

Hopefully, someday, when I'm not going home and spending every waking hour trying to put the house back together again I'll get back to the approx. six thousand projects I have going on, but this seems like a fun (if not probably frustrating) one.